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Published: March 29th, 2018

Membership in the WTO hinders the full development of Russia. The organization does not protect our country from international sanctions, but it hinders the development of the national industrial system. The question of how to support domestic producers will be discussed by the participants of the conference "International Trade and the WTO: How to Ensure Equal Conditions?". For the first time, foreign experts will be involved in the discussion. One of the discussion moderators, the head of the analytical center "WTO-INFORM", the assistant to the president of the Rosspetsmash Association, Vyacheslav Pronin, spoke about the tasks of the conference.

- The consequences of Russia's accession to the WTO have already been discussed at the Moscow Economic Forum. What has changed over the past year?

- This year the proposal for Russia's withdrawal from the WTO was tough for the first time. Previously, only unfavorable conditions on which Russia joined the organization were discussed. Exit from the WTO is not the only topic of the conference, but only one of the issues. The world's leading experts will join the conference for the first time.

 - Tell us which of the international experts will participate in the section.

- Participants of international organizations who aim to counteract the WTO will join the discussion. For the first time in Russia they will share their experience. In addition, experts who participate in defensive investigations will act as speakers. Russia does not have much experience in this field, so it is important to hear their opinion.

- Why does membership in the WTO hinder the development of Russia?

- The economic bloc of the government has its hands tied, the country can not pursue protectionist policies to support its producers. It is forbidden to directly subsidize the sale of domestic agricultural machinery, it is prohibited to unilaterally close the market for any type of product. For example, there was an overproduction of apples. It is necessary to close the market for foreign goods and support exports, so that surplus production allows farmers to earn. The WTO prohibits such actions, and there are many such examples.

 - Who benefits from the existence of the WTO?

- Restrictions that operate within the WTO are aimed at protecting the interests of developed countries, it is for them that the conditions in this organization are comfortable. And the economic growth of countries that are only developing, membership in the WTO is holding back. This is a weight in the neck of Russia. Without trade restrictions, the government could achieve not 1-2% of GDP growth, but 10-15%.

 

- How do you define the tasks of this MEF section?

- The purpose of the conference is to convey information about the situation to the widest possible range of persons, to clarify, perhaps, to convince. In the corridors of power, more and more people are beginning to realize the need to change socio-economic policies.